2010 Bodegas Breca Old Vines Garnacha,Calatayud, Spain

Here I go again (wasn’t that the name of a Whitesnake song…) touting another charming wine from our friends on the Iberian peninsula – Spain. This one is at a slightly higher price point than the Vega Sindoa, but it delivers a serious punch of raucous fruit and old world terrior.

The claim on the label is that the fruit used in production was “meticulously hand harvested clusters of fully matured Garnacha grapes selected from only the finest hillside vineyards located 3,000 ft. above sea level. These vineyards were first planted in the last decades of the nineteenth and the first decade of the twentieth centuries.” Based on what I could research, the vineyards appear to have been planted between 1924 and 1947, making the vines between 65 and 88 years old. While legally the term “old vines” has no meaning in Spain, arguably these vines would qualify as old. As such yields are very low, about one ton per acre, which is surprising given the price. The vineyards are located on steep, hillside terrain with a mix of slate and gravel soil, obviously contributing to the strong old world character.

The winery was founded in 2005 by Jorge Ordoñez and sits on 650 acres. I’m not sure how a wine of this caliber, with impressive pedigree (low yield, hillside site, old vines) can be produced at such a reasonable price, but I’m glad the Spanish can accomplish such a feat.

Of course Mr. Parker rated this wine a 94, which I was unaware of until I did some research. This will mean that the wine will be gobbled up, so make a bee-line to your favorite shop and buy what you can. In Mr. Parker’s words, this wine “may be the most amazing wine I have ever tasted at this price in over three decades.”

Wow… I’m not sure I can express the same sentiments, but I can tell you this wine is really pretty amazing…

My tasting note:

Ripe, juicy nose with black cherry – jammy, cedary hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity and firm, dry tannin – good balance. Lush, dense palate – dark fruit core – tarry with black pepper and violet notes. Long finish – smooth and a bit tight. Great structure on the finish. Drinking well and should improve for another 3 to 5 years in bottle.

At an average bottle price of $15.99 before the discount, this wine is a very respectable value.